On Aug. 28, a Beechwood Middle School student told a classmate that he had a bomb in his book bag and was charged with making threats to a school, per The State. The sheriff’s department said no explosives were found.

Additionally, a former Cardinal Newman student caused an uproar when it was discovered he posted racist and threatening videos against the northeast Columbia campus last spring, The State reported. The 16-year-old was videotaped firing guns at targets meant to represent black people. He said he hated African Americans and used a racial slur to describe them, before threatening violence against the Catholic school of more than 500 students.

Lexington One said in 2018 an amendment to the S.C. Code of Laws created the new crime “Student Threats,” making it unlawful for a “student of a school or college in this state to make threats, to take the life of, or to inflict bodily harm upon another by using any form of communication whatsoever.” School officials must report any and all student threats.

A school lockdown is a precautionary measure issued in response to a direct or nearby threat. It requires staff and students to respond quickly and comply with rules. Here’s how it often works.